ragazzo d'oro
/raˈɡat.t͡so ˈdɔ.ro/word by word
The English phrase 'golden boy' is translated into Italian as ragazzo d'oro.
Use ragazzo d'oro to describe a young man who is very successful and admired by everyone.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of ragazzo (boy) and d'oro (of gold), literally meaning 'boy of gold'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase changes based on gender and number. To refer to a young woman who is a golden girl, change the masculine ragazzo to the feminine ragazza to get ragazza d'oro. The plural form of the phrase is ragazzi d'oro.
How do you pronounce it?
It has 5 syllables, and the stress is on the 2nd syllable.
Did you know?
- Another theory suggests ragazzo comes from the Ancient Greek word rhákos, meaning 'rag' or 'tatter'. This implies the word originally described the poor clothing worn by young servants.
- If you want to sound more condescending toward a 'golden boy', you can use the diminutive ragazzino d'oro. This makes the person sound less like a hero and more like a small, spoiled child who is being coddled by adults.
- Despite the word ragazzo meaning 'boy', it is often used in Italy to describe men well into their twenties or thirties, making ragazzo d'oro applicable to adults.
Examples in context
- Tom è un ragazzo d'oro.Tom is a golden boy.This sentence is useful for showing how to identify someone as a ragazzo d'oro.Tatoeba #3233464 by Guybrush88, translation #1413643 by Spamster
- Sei davvero un ragazzo d'oro, con tutte le tue conquiste.You truly are a golden boy, with all your achievements.
- Marco è un ragazzo vincente, ha sempre successo in tutto ciò che fa.Marco is a golden boy, he always succeeds in everything he does.
- Che fico, sei proprio un ragazzo d'oro!How cool, you're really a golden boy!
- Tutti dicono che Marco sia un ragazzo d'oro.Everyone says that Marco is a golden boy.
- Il nuovo manager è un vero ragazzo d'oro.The new manager is a real golden boy.
Example conversation
Sofia and Alessandro are discussing a successful colleague at work.
- SofiaLuca è davvero il ragazzo d'oro dell'ufficio.Luca is truly the golden boy of the office.
- AlessandroSì, lo ammirano tutti per la sua bravura.Yes, everyone admires him for his talent.
- SofiaHa sempre successo in ogni cosa che fa.He is always successful in everything he does.
- AlessandroÈ proprio vero, è un esempio per tutti.It is very true, he is an example for everyone.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (ragazzo, d'oro) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries d'oro, ragazzo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
